Nothing Else Matters
by Airin
Summary: A week after they didn't die in the shuttlepod Trip and Reed get together for a celebration drink. MR/CT
1. Late nights

Ok.... for those of you who know me you know I usually write HP fics...but I've been watching Enterprise and this pairing is so blatant that I couldn't get it out of my head! I looked and could find no other so I had to write it for myself!

Ok. Now the **Warning**. This is a fic written about two men in being attracted to each other and, if we're really lucky, having male-male sex. If you don't like this kind of thing then turn back now!!! You have been warned. If you flame me for it after reading then you just end up looking like a twat to everyone else. So by all means, flame me for writing slash...just be prepared for the pointing and laughing afterwards. ;)

And what fan fiction would be complete without the obligatory **Disclaimer**. I do not own these characters, or anything else Star Trek related. I'm just borrowing them for a wee while, and though having lots of fun, I'm making no profit. This fic begins a week after Trip and Reed are rescued from the shuttle pod (Ep – 16 "Shuttlepod One) where they thought the Enterprise was destroyed and that they themselves were going to die.

~ Chapter 1 ~

Malcolm Reed sat back and stretched. His spine arched as the muscles in his back pulled themselves out of a position held for too long. He reached over to take a sip of his coffee, putting it down again quickly. Cold? Had he been sitting here that long? Reed glanced around the mess hall to see that it was empty bar a lone ensign in the corner, reading a data pad as he was. He stretched again. It was late, but Reed loved his work. He stood up to get another cup of coffee before settling down to read reports and assessments of the tactical schematics. The coffee at his side again sat untouched.

"Malcolm." The voice went unnoticed by ears too used to having to shut out extraneous sounds. It came again. "Malcolm!" This time it was accompanied by a hand obscuring his view of the data pad. Reed finally looked up.

"Jeez, I thought I was gonna have to call Phlox for a secon' there! Someone been slipping some'in in your coffee?" Reed looked up at the grinning face of the Chief Engineer, Trip. He had sat next to him, Reed totally oblivious. He blinked a few times, eyes adjusting to the new perception that included more than just text and diagrams.

"Oh...Comman...Trip. I'm sorry, I was reading up on the phase canon upgrades sent by Starfleet." Since the two men had been rescued from the shuttle pod a week before Reed had referred to the other man as "Trip", but he was still not entirely comfortable or practised with it yet. Well, he would he to get used to it. There were some things that if you went through together with someone you could not continue to be impersonal, calling by rank. Almost dying was definitely high on the list.

"Phase canon upgrades? At this time in th' mornin'?" Trip took the data pad out of Reed's hand and cast his eyes over it. "Hey! These are the specifications we got yesterday. We haven' even begun to implement them! Why're you so engrossed?" Trip was sitting on the chair backwards, arms resting on the back. He handed the pad back to Reed who placed it on the table.

"I just want to make sure I know what it is they are capable of, how much better they are, things like that." Reed went to sip his coffee again to find it cold. The Ensign from the corner was gone. What time _was_ it?

As if answering Reed's unspoken question Trip spoke. "At 3am? Malcolm we won't have those upgrades complete for another month! Plenty of time to catch up on'em." Trip grinned again, his blonde hair flicked back from his face. "And I don' know why you're gettin' so into'em, I'm the Chief Engineer."

Reed smiled slightly wryly. "Yes but it's no good if the weapons specialist doesn't know how to fire them really is it." Trip grinned back. Reed stretched again. Maybe it was a little late to be reading up on systems that would not be implemented for at least another month. "Ok, but why are you up this late?"

"Just off duty. I'm grabbin' a sandwich before I head to bed." Trip waved towards the food locker that still contained some left over dinner and snacks. Reed nodded. He stood up and arched his back again. He really had been sitting in that one position for too long. Trip stood up to and walked over to retrieve a sandwich, grimacing at the choice. Reed nodded goodnight and went to leave.

"Hey waita sec." Reed turned back, eyebrows raised in question. Trip put down his sandwich and sat back down. "You liked that whiskey right?" He did not have to remind Reed what whiskey he was talking about.

"Yes. It was quite good considering it was to be our last. I'm glad the Captain was so understanding about it." Reed replied, wondering where this non sequitur had come from.

"Ah he'll take it outta us somehow." Reed smiled again. Trip knew the Captain better than he did. Trip continued. "Well, I got some whiskey doin' nothin' but takin' up room. Not as good as the Cap'n's, but good enough! Wanna have a post-death celebration drink tomorrow night?" Reed was surprised but managed not to show it. He had never socialised with the other man, but he did feel as though they had become closer in the Shuttle pod, learning things they had not really known and breaking down a few barriers. The Engineer was obviously trying to keep those barriers down, continue to build up a friendship. Reed was more than happy to do so.

"Yes. That's a good idea." Reed answered. "I have some brandy that a friend gave me before we left. I can bring that too."

Trip nodded. "Excellent! Well I get off duty about 19:00 so come by about then." Reed agreed and left for his quarters.

~

Reed set an alarm to remind him when it was 19:00 just in case he became caught up in work again. He adored his job, and loved performing it aboard the ship and could get quite carried away. He unpacked the brandy from the drawer he had kept it in and headed out the door. The Chief Engineer's quarters were only a few corridors away but Reed bumped into Dr. Phlox on the way.

"Ah, Lieutenant. I was just coming to see you!" The Doctor always seemed in a hugely good mood and this time it appeared no different. Reed greeted him warily, wondering why he could be looking for him. "Well, it's time for your check-up. I've had Commander Tucker in already today. Just to make sure neither of you are suffering any side-effects." While he was speaking Dr. Phlox began ushering Reed in the direction of the infirmary. He stopped.

"Ah, Dr... can't we do it tomorrow?" He held up the bottle of brandy. "I'm actually expected somewhere." Dr. Phlox's eyebrows raised, but he stopped ushering Reed.

"Oh, certainly. But you have to report to me first thing in the morning." Reed agreed and breathed a sigh of relief as Dr. Phlox walked off, still smiling. He walked the remaining distance to Trip's quarters and press the door alert.


	2. Jack Daniels

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Disclaimer... All the characters mentioned do not belong to me. I own nothing to do with Star Trek and will not profit from this. The plot, what there is of it, _is_ mine though.

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Warning... This fic contains relationshippy stuff of the male/male variety. If you don't like, don't read! It's as simple as that.

~ Chapter 2 ~

"Come in." The voice came from inside and the doors slid open. The senior officers each had there own quarters, and while not hugely spacious it at least meant they did not have to share. Reed stepped inside and they door slid closed behind him. Trip was bent over a chair, searching for something in the bottom of his wardrobe.

"Uh... Trip?" Reed tried to see what the Commander was doing, or at least what he was searching for. He suddenly stood back up; a huge square bottle filled with amber fluid was in his hands. It had a black label with white lettering on.

"I knew it was in there." Trip held up the bottle for display. "Jack Daniels. The best whiskey there is, and hard to come by these days."

Reed held up his own bottle. "Brandy. Some generic brand. Not as good as your I fear, but alcoholic."

"And that's all that matters!" Trip replied with a grin. He placed the bottle of Jack Daniels on the desk and motioned Reed to take a seat while he found two clean glasses. "I'm sorry the place is a mess. I only just got back so you'll have to put up with my stuff lyin' around." Reed glanced about the quarters. Slightly untidy, but somehow he had expected the man to be messier. Well, he would not have become Chief Engineer if not for at least a vaguely organised mind.

Trip placed the glasses on the table and poured out two shots of the whiskey. They both held them up. Reed suggested a toast. "To not dying?" Trip smiled and clinked his glass against Reed's, echoing the sentiment. Reed knocked his drink back. The burn of the whiskey was pleasant in his mouth and throat. It slipped down well leaving a sharp but enjoyable aftertaste. He licked his lips to make sure he had missed none.

"That is some whiskey!" He said, noticing that Trip had also downed his glass and was pouring two more.

"Ain't it? That stuff of the Cap'n's was good, but nothing beat ole JD." They again knocked their glasses together and downed the shots. Reed suspected that they were both trying to drink enough to relax with each other before settling into drinking more slowly and at ease. Reed suggested opening the brandy next and they both had a few shots before deciding that the Jack Daniels was definitely better.

Reed could feel a slight buzz from drinking the shots so quickly. The conversation was flowing more freely now and both were sat back relaxed. They talked about the ship, the mission, the people. Reed was surprised at how much they had in common. On the surface they seemed so different, but on talking their opinions and ideas were very similar, with just enough different to make it interesting to talk. Plus their shared dedication to work, and similar fields made topics easy to come by.

Inevitably the conversation turned to women. The revelation in the shuttlepod that they had both shared time with Ruby was a source of amusement and lead to further discussions of failed relationships.

"I don't know." Trip said. "I just seem to always end up with the wrong sort. They're pretty and sweet, but then they turn round an' stab you in the back."

"I agree. But sometimes I think that I'm the one that's the wrong sort. I find it so hard to let down boundaries." Reed picked up the brandy bottle and poured himself a glass, holding it up as an offer. Trip held out his glass for a refill.

"But you've opened up to us. On the ship. Well, to some. I've seen to chattin' to Hoshi at times, Dr. Phlox, your staff. Then you're here now, havin' and drink with me." Trip used his glass to point at himself. Whilst not drunk, the slight tip of the glass betrayed a mild inebriation.

Reed nodded. "Ah yes, but with you it's different. There was something to force me to open up. The ship for a long period of time, then the shuttlepod. If you shut me and a girl in a shuttlepod for that amount of time I'd probably open up to her too."

Trip knocked back his drink, seeming to think about what Reed was saying. "Yeah, but we argued a lot of the time. But you saved my life." Trip looked up into Reeds eyes. Reed returned the gaze.

"Well... I just didn't want to be sitting there with my dead Commander above my head. It would have been creepy. And lonely." Trip grinned again, offering up another toast to their survival. Both the Jack Daniels and the brandy were half empty, but neither man seemed inclined to slow.

"So I guess neither of us is going to end up happily married." Trip said. "Maybe we should just do this." He held up his glass to indicate them drinking together. Reed smiled.

"Yes. Sod the lot of them. We'll just come back to yours, drink cheap brandy and expensive whiskey!" Reed poured some JD into his glass and swigged from it. Some of the liquid escaped and slid down his chin, slipping down towards his neck. Trip looked mock outraged.

"Hey! That's good Jack Daniels you're wasting there!" He said, leaning forward. Before Reed knew what he was doing Trip had used his tongue to lick the whiskey from up his neck and chin, and to his lips. He was shocked that the other man had done that, but strangely entranced by the way it had felt. Trip had obviously also not considered his actions either. He had paused, mouth still only inches from Reed's own.

"I... I'm sorry, I wasn't thinkin' what I was doin' there..." Trip began, still not moving away. Reed interrupted him.

"No, it's ok. I shouldn't have wasted the whiskey." Trip nodded, but Reed noticed he was still not moving away. He licked his lips again, tasting the whiskey from his skin. He watched as Trip's eyes followed his tongue. Without thinking he leaned in and kissed the other man on the lips, his slightly intoxicated mind wondering what he was doing. Just as he was about to back off and apologise profusely he felt Trip lean into the kiss. As their mouths opened and their tongues joined the kiss Reed could taste the Jack Daniels in the other man's mouth. The sensation was incredibly arousing.

As one man Reed and Trip moved closer, bodies pressing against each other. The kiss grew deeper as Trip reached behind Reed's neck and back, pulling. After a few minutes the two men broke away, eyes clouded with the lust drawn out from the kiss. Trip looked slightly abashed, and look Reed had never seen on him.

"Wow." Trip grinned again. "That was somethin'"

Reed nodded. "It really was." He waited, wondering what the other man was going to do. He wanted nothing more than to kiss him again and to see how things would progress, but it was something he had never considered before.

"Well, this was not exactly what I had in mind when I said we didn't need women, but I don't find myself objectin' to the idea. Do you?" Trip looked questioningly at Reed. And did he? He had not thought about the possibility of a relationship with the Engineer, but now that opportunity was presenting himself who was he to say no? He grinned too.

"Put it this way." Reed picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels. "I can think of a much more fun way to drink the rest of this whiskey." Trip looked mischievous. He pulled Reed to his feet and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in for another deep kiss.

"Now that's my kinda suggestion." He said. It was the last coherent thing either of them said for the rest of the night.


	3. Morning After

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Disclaimer:- Not mine, never mine. I don't own them. I'm just borrowing them to have a little play......and I promise to have them back by midnight. Or maybe 1am...;)

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Dedication: - To my lilic-lovin' poofy bitch Bally!! Rampant Vulcan Lesbian and beta reader extraordinare!! ;)

~ Chapter 3 ~

Malcolm woke up slowly, his body trying to deny the obvious hangover that was beating at his temples. His internal clock was reminding him he had to see Dr. Phlox that morning and though he wanted to sleep more it was no good. He fought through the cotton wool in his mind to full wakefulness.

Eyes still closed Malcolm realised that someone was in bed with him, in his arms. His eyes snapped open to see the smooth sloping back and sandy blonde hair of Trip, his own arms wrapped around him. The night's events came flooding back. He and the Commander had drunk a whole bottle of whiskey and practically all of a bottle of brandy. Most of it off each others naked bodies, licking the alcohol from the most intimate of places before moving on to... well... more intimate acts.

It was not the first time Malcolm Reed had slept with a man. Somewhat quiet he may be, but close-minded he was not, however this _was_ the first time he had ended up sleeping with a colleague, and commanding officer too boot. Was this going to be bad? He was reasonably happy with he events of the night before, but how was Trip going to react? They had been fairly drunk... and people often did things when drunk that they would never do sober. And the things they had done the night before were definite examples.

Malcolm shifted his hips slightly away from Trip. He did not want Trip to wake up with his early morning arousal, compounded by remembering the previous night, pressed into his backside. He might not appreciate it.

As Malcolm moved it allowed some cooler air to drift in between the two men. Trip roused, stretching in his arms, running his hands along Malcolm's. He turned so that he was facing him, head resting in the crook between the other man's shoulder and neck. His breath was warm on Malcolm's skin. Trip's body was pressed up against his own, revealing that he was not the only one "up" this early.

"Mornin'." Trip's voice was gruff with sleep. Malcolm could feel his stubble rubbing slightly roughly in his collarbone. The feeling was not unpleasant.

"Morning." He wrestled in his mind with something to say. Something witty? Soppy? Sexual? How about 'Hey Commander, will I get a promotion quicker now?'. Or 'Gee, is that a phase pistol in the bed with us?'. The mental image was so amusing Malcolm chuckled slightly. Trip lifted his head up to look at him, blue eyes tantalisingly close.

"What?" Malcolm could see the question in the other man's eyes and a thought struck him suddenly. Trip was just as worried about his reaction. He smiled slightly.

"Just marvelling at how awkward waking up can be, especially with a commanding officer..." Malcolm threw in the last, hoping Trip would take the hint without him having to ask outright. The blonde man grinned at him again and kissed him.

"Rank doesn't matter in here." He murmured between kisses. Malcolm pulled him closer. They had experimented with almost all positions the night before, finding that Malcolm preferred to take top, Trip bottom. No. Rank had not mattered one bit.

Malcolm pulled away. "Much as I want to see where this goes, I have Dr. Phlox waiting for me." He said, knowing that the last thing he wanted was the Doctor contacting him in the middle of something with Trip.

Trip rolled his eyes. "Trust the Doc to ruin a good moment." He moved against Malcolm. "But I do have to have breakfast with the Cap'n too."

Malcolm stretched again. "Well, we'd better get up. I need to have a shower quickly." Trip's eyes lit up at the mention of a shower. Malcolm grinned. "However, I think it would be better to shower alone in the sake of speed." Trip rolled his eyes again and climbed out of the bed.

"Spoil sport." He said, grinning back. Malcolm was letting his eyes follow the contours of his body, enjoying the sight. "Wanna meet back here later?" Trip added, watching Malcolm's face. Malcolm nodded.

"Sure." He paused. "And maybe then we should have 'The Talk'. Trip grinned at him.

"'The Talk' eh? Yeah. That might be a good idea!" Malcolm stood up and kissed Trip. They were about the same height, making it easier. Why had he not thought about this before? Maybe because Trip did not strike as the kind of man who would sleep with other men. But then, neither was he really. 'The Talk' might bring up some interesting facts.

~

Malcolm walked into sickbay, wincing slightly at the bright lights.

"Hangover Mr. Reed?" The Doctor seemed as bright and happy as ever. It hurt Malcolm's hangover bruised brain. He nodded slightly. "Well, I think I can give you something for that." Malcolm accepted the painkiller and lay down on one of the beds.

"Any pain? Problems" Dr. Phlox asked him.

"Aside from the self inflicted hangover, no, nothing." There were other parts of his body aching slightly from the previous night's activities, but he was not going to admit them to Dr. Phlox. He fought to suppress a grin.

"Good night then?"

"Yes, you could say that." Malcolm could not stop the grin this time. He saw the Doctor's eyebrow raise, but he declined comment as he performed tests. It was over fairly soon.

"Well, you seem to have suffered no permanent physical ill effects." The Doctor stated, letting Malcolm sit back up. "And nightmares? Anything like that?" Malcolm shook his head. "Nothing at all?" Dr. Phlox pressed the matter.

"No. Not that I can recall." Malcolm told him. The Doctor seemed to be waiting for more. " Well it was unsettling, facing death, thinking you were all dead, but I had company. Commander Tucker was pretty good at getting me riled enough to not think about it." Malcolm smiled, trying not to think of the double entendre. The Doctor just nodded.

Malcolm jumped down off the bed. "So can I go?" The Doctor looked as though he might ask something else, but then nodded again.

"If you need anything else for the... Hangover though just come back." Malcolm noticed the pause before "Hangover." Did the Doctor know? He wondered how thorough the scans were. It brought up an interesting point though. Were people going to know what was going on? And did he want them to know? Something else for 'The Talk'.

Malcolm headed to the mess. He would think more clearly with some coffee inside him. Then back to Trip's. Neither one of them were on duty today, that being why he had agreed to the drink, so it left all day to talk and...finish what had barely begun that morning. Malcolm smiled at the prospect. Maybe being trapped in the shuttlepod had not been such a bad thing after all!


End file.
